“You’re Too Much” - A Reflection

Has anyone ever said this to you?

The words  – “You’re too much”.

Maybe when you were little, you were told you were too loud, too joyful, too sensitive, too outspoken…

Or perhaps you were made to feel not enough — too quiet, too shy, too different.

As children, we are deeply impacted by how the adults in our lives respond to us.  We are naturally free, expressive, and fully ourselves… until something shifts.

A comment.
A look.
A correction.

“Be quiet.”
“Tone it down.”
“Why can’t you be like your brother or sister?”

And just like that, something inside begins to change.

Children instinctively know they need love and acceptance to feel safe.

So we adapt.

We shape ourselves into who we think we need to be in order to belong, to be praised, to be loved… to survive.

And slowly, without even realizing it, we move away from our authentic selves.

Then we grow up.

And many of us are still doing the same thing.

Holding back from fully expressing ourselves.

Staying quiet when we want to speak.

Not taking risks because “What will people think?”

Dimming our light so we don’t appear “too much.”

In the women’s circles I host, this comes up often.

The fear of shining brightly.
Of speaking fully.
Of being seen.

And underneath it all… is a younger part of us.

Our dear Inner Child, still holding onto the memory of what it felt like to be “too much.”

So, as adults, when we begin to express ourselves more authentically or step beyond our comfort zone, our Inner Child may react -feel afraid, freeze or be resistant—not because anything is wrong with us, but because she is trying to protect us.

The beautiful thing is that, through our spiritual practice, we can begin to return home to our authentic selves.

We can gently turn toward our Inner Child and let her know… it is safe now.

This is where practices like Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique/EFT) can be so deeply healing—because they gently reach the places within us that words often cannot. The tender, hidden spaces… the younger parts of us that still long to be seen, soothed, and set free.

In my private sessions with clients, we lovingly connect with the Inner Child—supporting her to soften, to release what she’s been holding, and to finally exhale. And in that softening, something beautiful happens… we begin to feel like ourselves again. Whole. Open. True.

If something in you is stirring as you read this, you’re warmly invited to reach out. Click ‘reply,’ and we’ll arrange a time for a free consult.

I invite you to pause and reflect…

When have you been courageous?

When did you show up as yourself, for yourself, even when it felt uncomfortable?

There are so many moments, yet we don’t always take the time to honour them.

Because many of us were given the message, “Don’t brag!”

If you want to share a courageous moment with me, hit reply… and brag away!

As I write this, I’m reminded of a time in my own life when I was courageous.

Thirty-two years ago, I was living in Vancouver and working as a salesperson at the largest Ford dealership in Canada. There were twenty salespeople, and only two of us were women.

At the same time, I was training to become a Kundalini Yoga teacher. I was a vegetarian, bringing my own meals—and not only was I the only woman on my team - I was different.

Different, yes. And also, fully myself.

And gratefully, I was supported by my team. They may have thought I was a little (or a lot) “granola,” but they wanted me to succeed in a male-dominated industry.

Looking back now, it makes me smile. I can feel the energy —courageous, authentic, unapologetic.

And it feels good to remember.

What if we began to change these old narratives?

What if we listened to our hearts and followed our souls’ longings?

To live authentically.
To shine in our own unique way.

Yes, the Inner Critic may speak up and tell us to stay small, to stay safe, or whisper, “Who do you think you are?”

But this is where we can stand up for ourselves and say to the Inner Critic, “Stop. Nobody talks to me this way. You are not welcome here. Leave now.”

I’ll share more about this approach in the future.

This journey is not about fixing ourselves.

It’s an invitation to love the parts of us that are afraid and frozen in time.

To come back into our body, into our heart.
To ground ourselves in who we truly are.

And to surround ourselves with people who see us, appreciate us, and celebrate us—exactly as we are.

I invite you to reflect…

Is there something you’ve been wanting to do?

A dream, a desire, a way you want to express yourself more fully?

What if the very thing you’ve been told is “too much”…is actually your greatest gift waiting to be fully lived?

With love,

Diane

(The photo is my great-niece Maya - my teacher - reminding me what it means to be fully, unapologetically herself.)